Viral sensation 4-year-old visits Turkish president

By Aynur Ekiz

ANKARA

At his official residence, Turkey’s president on Monday received one of the most unusual dignitaries he has met since taking office in 2014: a 4-year old girl.

Irmak Ayse Istek won people’s hearts and the president’s invitation after a video showing her crying because she could not speak to Recep Tayyip Erdogan went viral on social media.

On Jan. 14, Erdogan attended the provincial congress meeting of his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party in Istek’s hometown, the central Anatolian Yozgat province, but her desire to speak with him went unfulfilled.

During her visit to the presidential complex in the capital Ankara, Irmak got the gift of a bicycle, which she tried out in-house.

In return, the little girl gave the president a Yozgatsport football team uniform bearing his name.

The little girl was accompanied by her mother Tugba and father Ziya.

On Wednesday, after seeing her video, Erdogan called the little girl to invite her to come see him in the capital.